Vladimir Putin responds to shirtless mockery by G7 leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin hits back at remarks by Western leaders this week and offers them his tips on how to improve their physiques.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse during his vacation outside the town of Kyzyl in Southern Siberia in 2009.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said partially clothed Western leaders would be “a disgusting sight,” as he responded to their recent mockery of his shirtless tendencies.

During a back-and-forth at the opening of the Group of Seven summit this week in Germany, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked his counterparts whether they should remove their jackets.

After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Mr. Johnson to keep it on for a photo opportunity Mr. Johnson said, “We all have to show we’re tougher than Putin.”

Fit as fiddles: (L-R) Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US President Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a working dinner during the G7 Summit held at Elmau Castle, southern Germany.

Mr. Trudeau responded by nodding to a 2009 photo of Mr. Putin riding a horse shirtless. “We’re going to get the bare-chested horseback riding display,” he said.

Mr. Putin was asked about the G-7 commentary during a visit early Thursday to Turkmenistan.

Vladimir Putin fishing in the Tyva region in 2013 during his vacation.

Vladimir Putin plunges into the icy waters of Lake Seliger during the celebration of the Epiphany holiday in Russia's Tver region.

“I don’t know how they wanted to undress -- to the waist or below the waist. But I think that it would be a disgusting sight, in any case,” he told reporters.

He urged the leaders to improve their physiques by giving up alcohol and exercising more.